Preventative health is something that I have learnt to value over the years. Just like many others, in my younger years, I really didn’t value my health to any particular degree. I was young, healthy enough and able to do all I wished.
After children, I decided to look after myself better, as now it wasn’t just my life that I was I responsible for, so I improved my fitness, cleaned up my diet and started living the lifestyle I was trained in. All was great for a number of years, I was working as a PT, raising my daughters, maintaining a home, had a good diet and was training 6 days a week. I decided to then start my Masters Degree in Exercise Physiology to enhance my career. I was excited for my future and felt like I had it all together……
However, all started to crumble during that first year of uni. I ignored a number of warning signs and kept pushing through with study, training, work, kids and keeping my nutrition on track, thinking I could do it all. Eventually however, enough was enough and my body and mind caved in.
I had to defer uni, I gave up work, I struggled to cope with every day activities. Just getting my daughters to school was a challenge. I was fatigued each and every day, my mind was chaotic and I was struggling to function. It was heartbreaking to go from the point of feeling like I had it all, to being totally ashamed of what I had become. I felt like a fragile shell of my former self.
I never realised the value of good health until this moment and I was so disappointed in myself for abusing it, especially when I was unsure, at that time, if I would ever get my health back. To wonder if this is what life is going to be like long term is definitely an unpleasant place to be.
Luckily, for me, after much dedication to improving my health, I did recover and I am so grateful. I never want to ever return to that place again. It made me realise how ordinary life becomes when we lose our health. Everything becomes a challenge, it is hard to even enjoy the basic parts of life.
This has driven me to promote the value of preventative health to help others avoid doing what I did. It is easy to think we are invincible and can do it all, but life can catch up with us if we aren’t careful. Luckily a few changes to balance our lifestyle and health can make a significant difference and worth the time and effort.
So, my message is to value all you can do and don’t jeopardize health in any aspect. Maintain a healthy balance in all aspects of life and well-being, as too much of one area can become unhealthy.
Good health doesn’t need to be rigid and boring, it is just finding a happy balance that works for you. Find it and embrace it.
If you’re wanting to improve your health, check out my 6 Week Back To Basics Bootcamp or Simple Nutrition that I implement into my day.
